Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 12.djvu/442

The Annual Reunion of the Virginia Division of the Army of Northern Virginia Association will take place on the evening of the 23d of October. General Bradley T. Johnson will speak on the Sharpsburg Campaign ; a number of Maryland Confederates will make an excursion to Richmond on the occasion, and it is hoped that it will prove one of the most delightful reunions we have ever had.

The Annual Meeting of the Southern Historical Society, which usually occurs during the last week in October, the time of the Virginia Agricultural Fair, has been postponed this year to suit the convenience of General M. C. Butler, of South Carolina, who has kindly consented to ad- dress the Society, and whose pressing engagements will not permit him to be here at that time.

In making the change, the E.xecutive Committee have also been influenced by certain grave objections to holding our annual meeting at a time when the people are so occupied with other matters of pressing interest, that it is impossible for many of our best members to attend. The exact day of the meeting will be duly announced, and special efforts will be made to render it the most interesting and important which we have ever held.

The Unveiling of the Monument to Col. Rob't D. Smith and his brave comrades of the Seventh, Ninth, Tenth, Twenty-Ninth, and Forty- Fourth Mississippi regiments, who fell at Munfordsville, the 14th of Septem- ber, 1862, occurred on the historic ground on the 17th of September last (anniversary of the final surrrender of the Federal fort), and was an occa sion of great interest. We deeply regretted our inability to be present.

The monument, a beautiful and appropriate one, was erected by the libe- rality of Mr. James Smith, of Glasgow, Scotland (a brother of Col. Rob't D. Smith), whose presence with a party of friends, from Glasgow, consisting of Alex. Watt, Robert Brown Smith, Miss Maria Smith, and Dr. R. G. Miller, added greatly to the interest of the occasion. We hope to print in our next the admirable address of Major E. T. Sykes, of Columbus, Miss., and the feeling and appropriate remarks of Mr. Smith.

We were glad to note that the Army of Tennessee Association, in New Orleans, passed appropriate resolutions, commending Mr. Smith's noble act — that he was given a " Reception " at the Bethel, at which our eloquent friend, Rev. Dr. R. T. Markham, Riade an appropriate address — and that the Legislature of Mississippi passed suitable resolutions concerning his gener- ous and patriotic action.

Mr. Smith and his party passed through Richmond, and did the Secretary the honor of calling at his residence, but we deeply regret that we were out of the city for the day, and that as he only spent several hours here, we were deprived of the pleasure of paying our respects to a gentleman who, in addi- tion to many other friendly acts to the Confederate cause, showed his intel- ligent appreciation of the work of the Southern Historical Society by con- tributing last year two hundred dollars ($200) to our funds.